Viata

Chapter VIII: The Great Picnic Escape

 The sun beat warmth on my back and shoulders. I reached my fingers back to touch the top of my spine and brushed the few curled hairs out of the way to relieve some of the discomfort from the way my dark hair attracted the harsh rays of the sun. Avril and I sat outside on a blanket with a prince by the name of Grant as we tried to enjoy a picnic to the best of our abilities. He was very nice, truly much better than the imbecile Ian, but his laugh was just . . . incredibly annoying.

"And then," another hick of laughter came out of his nearly handsome mouth, "He ate it! The whole plate of snails right down to licking the slime off the plate."

Avril and I let out occupied laughs while trying not to cringe. I glanced around and saw even the poor servant boy who had been employed with fanning us on this particularly hot day was looking quite disturbed by the constant stream of constant hicking.

Still better than Ian.

"What an amusing story, Grant. Thank y9ou very much for sharing it with us."

"Would you like some more wine, my lord," Avril offered, holding out the silver pitcher.

"No, no. I'm quite fine."

"Are you sure? It's important to drink when out and about in Viata. Lord only knows what this sun would do to a man if he wasn't skin covered and thirst quenched."

"I'll survive."

I smiled politely at him and moved my own goblet towards Avril for the wine. My eyes were entranced by the soft way the red liquid flowed from the pristine opening into the chalice, not a drop falling out or dribbling down the side as it approached the rim. The beautiful pitcher was removed from the rim afterwards. Not a drop spilled, not a fingerprint located on the surface. The perfection of cleanliness surrounded us even in the outdoors.

"As I was saying," Grant started again, "It's so very important to surround yourself with good people. Ones that make you smile and laugh. I don't know what I would do without my companions!"

"I imagine your days would be very boring.

"I imagine they would indeed."

I picked up a dainty bite of chicken and placed it onto the center of my tongue, the fork scraped against my teeth oh so slightly on the way out. I had only just started to chew on it when he began laughing hysterically again, causing me to choke on my food.

Avril immediately came to my aide, her hand rubbing small circles on my back while we listened to Prince Grant tell us a joke his father had told him just before he left the kingdom. I hurriedly grabbed my wine during a lull in the joke and took large sips to cure the rough feeling coughing had left me with after.

I never knew I'd wish that Kassandre had taken the time to find me a suitable husband whilst I was away.

Oh, how the suitors have changed my mind.

I closed my eyes and tried to close my mind from his chatter and laughter and bask in the sun of my country, thinking of all the things I had wished to do but hadn't gotten the opportunity to quite yet.

I want to visit Heverna, Viata's capital, and meet my subjects.

I want to contact Tyson once more, perhaps try to get him a more important job in the palace.

I want to look at that tapestry by Tamara's room again.

I want to find Artur and Albion.

I wanted to do so many things but at the same time I also wished I could have time to settle down for a moment and use that wonderful chess board in my room but I knew my father would be having a meeting today that I was required to attend.

Perhaps I could invite my father to accompany me to my chambers afterwards and then I could impress him with my skills for the game. I had become quite the opponent back in Graiden. Prior to my leaving he had always bested me in the game, never challenging himself but always causing me much grief at the thought that I would never best my father in such a game of strategy and wit.

My mind began to wander further to how precisely I would beat my father for the first time ever.

Grant did not allow this moment of self thought.

"Princess Athene? Are you tired? You seemed to have lost yourself for a moment."

It had been naught but a moment. I internally groaned at the lack of time passing.

"Oh? I'm so sorry, I guess I am a little faint," I caught Avril's eye before adding with a hand to my breast, "the heat is a bit too much for me."

"Oh, my. Perhaps we should go indoors then," he said as he began to stand, putting his hand out to help me up as well.

I took his hand gratefully and batted my eyes in a sweet way. Hopes for beauty to allow for a touch of haste and for him to take this moment of rejection with grace filled me as I feigned blush.

"I think I should just go for a rest, if you don't mind."

"Of course. Send for me when you are yourself again?"

"Yes, my liege."

He bowed to me and I curtsied back with my fingers gently holding my billowing grey skirts. Grant smiled at me and called for his servant to clean up the mess while Avril and I walked away. Her arm remained on mine to help with balance and her pink skirt pushed against my own as we made our way up the cobbled steps and towards the back entrance with my mother's roses.

"You seem to have gotten a bit pickier since the last time you were with a suitor," she smiled lightly, "This one lasted hardly an hour. What shall we tell the girls? Your mother?"

"I'll tell them exactly what I told him," I fanned myself dramatically, "I was oh, so faint."

She shook her head and chuckled at me. The pathway we walked down turned to larger stones placed in an intricate pattern to create a path up to the castle. A sturdy ground, so much so that the two of us began to walk faster and faster until it was a quick gait then we found ourselves running for the sake of friendly challenge.

We raced each other, both of us gasping for air and breathing as deep as our stiff corsets would allow. Our skirts were held significantly higher than allowed by the unspoken words of the court as our undergarments were visible for the empty garden filled with birds and bees to witness with amusement. Tight fists of cloth were our grounding bits as we struggled to reach the doors to the castle garden.

"You cheated!"

Her chest heaved over the top of her bust slightly as she used her tired arms to try to push me. I smiled at her and put my hands on my hips, tilting my head to the sky.

"There were no rules set so how can you claim the breaking of one?"

"Just like this: you cheated!"

"We both chuckled this time. Throaty giggles took over our throats until I had to reach back and pull the hair which had fallen loose in the chase over my shoulder to keep from the heat. I suddenly knew quite well what I would be doing with my extra time as I wiped the sweat from my neck and forehead between laughs. A bath.

"Well, isn't this a sight?"

We both looked over to the rose bushes of my mother to see a man with hair glowing like the warm chestnut of a strong horse next to the head of one who seemed touched by the sun with his golden tresses.

"Who would have known the princess of Viata," said Prince Albion of Yeolonda, "was a rebellious one."